Washing and/or cleaning brush and cleaning  unit for washing and/or cleaning machines comprising at least said brush

ABSTRACT

A washing/cleaning brush comprises a main body and an operative portion connected to the main body; the brush further comprises a power take-off means directly connected thereto and apt for transmitting mechanical power thereto so as to set it moving with respect to a cleaning and/or washing unit on which it can be mounted. The main body is configured as a pad driver apt for receiving a felt cleaning pad, the power take-off means being afforded in or connected to the pad driver or to the felt cleaning pad.

The object of the present invention is a washing and/or cleaning brush that can be used in machines of various types for cleaning floor areas such as flooring and similar surfaces, as well as a machine that can be equipped with a “cleaning and/or washing unit”, which, in turn, comprises one or more brushes according to the invention thereof.

As is known, in various civil engineering or industrial applications, cleaning machines can have moveable brushes (and moved by suitable motors and respective interlocked transmission lines), which are placed in contact with an area to be cleaned and then moved accordingly.

For example, a working head is disclosed in EP patent no. 2625995 that is made up of two cleaning discs provided with ring-shaped brushes and toothed wheels connected to the ring-shaped brushes and meshed one on the other. However, the lower part of these discs is always and only occupied by brush elements, and not by other types of structures apt for capturing the dirt on the surface to be cleaned.

Patent no. DE10/2005/045310, which is also accessible to the public, illustrates a floor maintenance machine that is equipped with a large front rotating disc facing the ground and that has a circular brush with bristles at a wide angle of divergence, and a mesh housing afforded at the upper part and provided with recesses practically shaped in the form of the teeth of toothed wheels. However, in this case as well, there is no trace or indication as to the use of felt pads or other similar objects.

Lastly, US patent No. 2007/192973 discloses a floor maintenance machine for cleaning floors in which the operating head is capable of receiving at least two discs with integrated meshing teeth and with cleaning elements that consist solely of brush-type elements.

As regards the transmission of rotating movement to the brush, in currently known technologies, for example pulley- and belt-based transmissions, which set the brushes into rotation, can be considered. In current machines, the brushes present in current machines may be single or multiple brushes, and in the case of multiple brushes, they are set into rotation with concordant or discordant motion by means of suitable driving gears and reduction gears for reducing rotation.

In any case, the brushes of the prior art and the respective cleaning and/or washing units that house one or more of these brushes are not free of drawbacks.

For example, in the conventional brushes, the presence of belts and pulleys constitutes a factor that contributes considerably to complicating the structure, above all in the cases in which there are multiple brushes to be set into relative rotation with respect to each other. The complication of the structure results from the space required for passage of the belts and for the positioning of the various pulleys, as well as for the possible presence of dedicated reduction gears for each brush present in the cleaning unit.

Moreover, in the brushes of the prior art, kinematic linkage must be arranged for transmitting motion and these kinematic mechanisms are subject to adverse conditions in the work environment owing to the presence of environmental factors (dust, washing liquids, foreign bodies collected during passage of the brushes and so on) that cause premature wear or even undesired jamming and breakage.

Alternatively, in those cases in which one or more brushes are set into motion with gear motor assemblies individually dedicated to the brushes, the overall costs of the machine increase exponentially precisely because of the redundancy of the motors and the respective transmissions.

Within the scope of the issues stated hereinabove, the present invention proposes to produce a washing and/or cleaning brush, as well as a washing and/or cleaning unit that can be installed on any machine for civil engineering and/or industrial use, comprises at least one of these brushes, and is capable of overcoming the drawbacks cited herein.

In further detail, it should be stated that the invention is intended to realize an “overall system” that offers high-level operating efficiency, easy maintenance and assembly and that minimizes management costs.

In other words, the aim of the invention is to devise a washing and/or cleaning brush that meets at one and the same time the requirements of operating efficiency and reduction of maintenance and replacement costs, also taking into account a reasonable quantitative value for the “useful life” thereof in connection with normal wear of the cleaning elements of the brush per se.

The aims of the present invention also encompass the realization of cleaning units that can be installed on different types of cleaning and/or washing machines. These cleaning units must be optimized in terms of efficiency, the ease with which maintenance and replacement of worn parts can be performed, and in terms of management and production costs.

These and other aims of the invention are achieved by a washing and/or cleaning brush according to that which is described and claimed herein, and also according to that which is represented in the illustrative (but not necessarily limiting) figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view from a top side angle of a cleaning unit comprising brushes according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view from a bottom side angle of the cleaning unit of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a variant embodiment of the brush according to the invention.

As regards the invention, the cleaning and/or washing brush is indicated by reference number 1 and it comprises a main body 2 that is connectable to a constraining point 12 on a cleaning unit 10, as well as an operative portion 3 that is seamlessly connected to the main body 2 (or in other words, defining a single block assembly with the main body 2). The operative portion 3 serves to perform the cleaning and/or washing procedures on an area to be cleaned, which, in turn, can be travelled over by the cleaning and/or washing unit 10 (which, in any case, forms part of the invention, as explained below).

Advantageously, the brush 1 further comprises a power take-off means 4 afforded directly in the main body 2 and that serves to transmit mechanical power to the brush 1 so as to set it moving with respect to the constraining point 12 on the cleaning and/or washing unit 10.

With the intention of maximizing the simplicity of its construction, the power take-off means 4 can be integrally afforded in the main body, although other forms of direct linkage can be devised and implemented (e.g. by screwing/engaging a crown wheel to the main body or whatever: see FIG. 3).

It is observable from the figures that the main body has the form of a solid of rotation (and more precisely, of a cylinder with a circular base, being extremely limited in height and with internal cut-outs), so that the constraining point 12 actually corresponds to a localized anchoring point at the central axis of symmetry of the solid of rotation.

Owing to this three-dimensional geometry, the operative portion 3 can be realized in such a manner as to comprise a multiplicity of active elements that project in a perpendicular direction from the solid of rotation with respect to the central axis of symmetry thereof. In practice, these active elements are realized by means of flexible thread-like elements (also definable as “bristles”) and/or ribbon-like elements, which in accordance with the prior art are apt for impacting the area to be cleaned in a state of operation.

Naturally, if the brush 1 is movable (for example, if it rotates about its constraining point 12), the active elements impact the area to be cleaned corresponding to the movements of the brush 1 with respect to the constraining point 12.

For its part, the power take-off means (4) comprises a multiplicity of meshing teeth positioned about the perimeter of the main body 2. These meshing teeth are positioned at an ordinate that is offset with respect to the central axis of symmetry, with respect to an ordinate in which the flexible thread-like and/or ribbon-like elements lie (so that they do not functionally interfere with each other).

Alternatively, the main body of the brush 1 can be configured as a pad driver that is apt for receiving a felt cleaning pad. In this possible embodiment, the power take-off means 4 can be afforded in or connected to the pad driver or to the felt cleaning pad.

Advantageously, the brush 1 described hereinabove can be part of a cleaning and/or washing unit indicated by the reference number 10 in the figures and that can be used in various types of cleaning and/or washing machines (scrubber dryers with or without a rider, sweepers and so on).

The cleaning and/or washing unit 10 basically comprises a supporting structure 11 defining one or more constraining points 12 (the technical aim of which is to receive a respective brush 1) and a motor 13 connected to at least one brush 1 mounted in the supporting structure 11 at a corresponding constraining point 12 thereof.

The connection between the brush 1 and the motor 13 is conveniently implemented “partially” or “completely” (depending on the presence or absence of intermediate transmission elements) by means of the power take-off means 4 integrally afforded on the main body 2 of the brush 1.

Should it be necessary to adapt the speed of movement or rotation of the brush 1 with respect to the output of the motor 12, it may be necessary to employ a gear motor kinematically interposed between the motor 13 and the power take-off means 4 of at least one brush 1.

The example cleaning unit illustrated in the figures is characterized by the presence of two brushes 1 that counter-rotate with respect to each other and are interconnected by means of the respective power take-off means 4, which, in turn, are mutually and directly meshed (in this case, the gear motor proves to be connected to just one of the brushes 1 that counter-rotate with respect to each other).

Naturally, if necessary, the cleaning and/or washing unit according to the invention can be equipped with more than two brushes 1, which can then be connected in series one to the other by direct meshing of the respective power take-off means 4.

The invention achieves several interesting advantages with respect to the prior art.

First of all, the fact that the power take-off means is afforded directly in the main body of the brush permits marked simplification of the production process for producing the brush itself, and it provides for secure functional integration, which enables savings in terms of assembly time and replacement time, as well as better operation of the brush.

Furthermore, incorporation of the brush and the power take-off means makes it possible to build very simple and direct kinematic chains, especially in the case in which one wishes to realize cleaning and/or washing units with two or more counter-rotating brushes (in these cases, one brush can be directly meshed with the other, and possibly using just one gear motor located upstream of the chain of brushes).

Given that the toothing is integral with the brush body/driver, this means that when the brush is being replaced (an event that naturally takes place during use in the washing/cleaning procedures) the transmission is also replaced. The advantage of this simultaneous replacement is that the power take-off means will always be in optimal condition and thus wear of the transmission that is created by the chemical elements and granular particles of dirt/sand/dust and whatever else is of less consequence.

In other words, a further advantage of the present invention is constituted by the fact that this innovative and original brush (which like those of the prior art is an article subject to wear and thus periodic replacement) automatically also “renews” its power take-off means at the time of replacement of the brush itself. This means that when the brush is replaced on the washing/cleaning machine, the transmission for moving the brushes will also always be new and in perfect condition as regards geometry and meshing, thereby preventing a loss in functional operation related to premature wear of the meshing teeth.

Moreover, the structural and functional integration of the main body of the brush and the power take-off means leads to a minimum noise level of the transmission (given that the meshing of the various components of the drive transmission takes place between homogeneous materials, and more specifically it takes place in a “plastic-on-plastic” combination), together with an even more advantageous absence of transmission maintenance. 

1. A washing and/or cleaning brush for cleaning machines for cleaning areas such as floor surfaces and the like, comprising: a main body (2) that can be connected to a constraining point (12) on a cleaning unit (10); an operative portion (3) connected to the main body (2) and apt for performing cleaning and/or washing procedures on an area to be cleaned; said area to be cleaned can be travelled over by the cleaning and/or washing unit (10); and a power take-off means (4) afforded directly and integrally in the main body (2) and apt for transmitting mechanical power to the brush (1) so as to set it moving with respect to the constraining point (12) on the cleaning and/or washing unit (10), characterized in that the main body (2) is configured as a pad driver apt for receiving a felt cleaning pad, the power take-off means (4) being afforded in or connected to the pad driver or to the felt cleaning pad.
 2. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the main body (2) has the form of a solid of rotation of a cylindrical shape, the constraining point (12) being constituted by a localized anchoring point at the central axis of symmetry of said solid of rotation, the operative portion (3) comprising a multiplicity of active elements that project perpendicularly from the solid of rotation with respect to the central axis of symmetry and comprising a multiplicity of flexible thread-like and ribbon-like elements apt for impacting the area to be cleaned in a state of operation and/or corresponding to the movements of the brush (1) with respect to the constraining point (12).
 3. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the power take-off means (4) comprises a multiplicity of meshing teeth positioned about the perimeter of the main body (2) and preferably positioned at an ordinate that is offset with respect to the central axis of symmetry, with respect to an ordinate in which the flexible thread-like and/or ribbon-like elements lie.
 4. A cleaning and/or washing unit (10) that can be used in cleaning and/or washing machines, comprising: a supporting structure (11) defining one or more constraining points (12), each being suitable for receiving a brush (1) according to claim 1; and a motor (13) connected to at least one brush (1) mounted in the supporting structure (11) at a constraining point (12), the connection between the brush (1) and motor (13) being at least partially implemented by means of the power take-off means (4) afforded on the main body (2) of the brush (1).
 5. The unit according to claim 4, wherein there is also present a gear motor kinematically interposed between the motor (13) and the power take-off means (4) of at least one brush (1).
 6. The unit according to claim 4, wherein there are present two or more brushes (1) that counter-rotate with respect to each other and are interconnected by means of the respective power take-off means (4), which are mutually and directly meshed, the gear motor being connected to just one of the brushes (1) that counter-rotate with respect to each other.
 7. The unit according to claim 4, wherein there is present a means for orienting and/or moving the entire cleaning and/or washing unit (10) with respect to a machine.
 8. The unit according to claim 4, wherein there is also present a means for dispensing water and/or detergents and/or disinfectants apt for impacting the surface to be washed in a state of operation. 